Shooting at an Italy, Texas, high school

A shooting was reported Monday morning at a high school in Italy, Texas. As authorities informed, it was carried by a 16-year-old boy who attends to that same school. Until now, no death has been confirmed, but only one victim wounded.

This morning, around 8:00 am, officials received a call from of an ongoing shooting at the Italy High School, in the town of Italy – 50 miles south of Dallas.

According to the officials at the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, a 15-year-old girl was wounded by the shooter and then airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. No further information about the victim is public, so it’s impossible to tell what the conditions of the victim are.

The officials offered the status of the terrible event about two hours after the shooting. They still haven’t told the number of students who were back then at the cafeteria, where the shooting took place. However, local media expects to receive more material from the school and law enforcement officials when they can gather more information on the shooter, who’s already in custody.

The 16-year-old boy who opened fire is in custody, as the district officials said. Image credit: Jennifer Lindgren / AP

Sgt. Joe Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, said that both the 16-year-old boy and the 15-year-old girl knew each other. However, officials are still investigating which relation both had.

A ‘trying time’ for the people

The Italy Independent School District Superintendent Lee Joffre, which has around 600 students, told reporters that the shooter left the building just after he started opening fire to the students. However, he was then captured by officials and then taken into custody.

He informed that he couldn’t reveal any further information on the suspect’s status, nor his disciplinary history at the school.

Joffre also said that the district is preparing grief counselors for students who are in shock and feel they need help from professionals. Then, he added that this is a “trying time for our community and our school.”

Some students couldn’t leave the building right after the shooting began, as Joffre said.

No further information about the shooter was given by the authorities. Image credit: NBC News

When the district officials heard about the shooting, the district “immediately took action to get our students in a safe position.”

“We hope that things like this never happen in a community; unfortunately, we have to prepare as a school district,” he said. “We set those types of procedures to where the police department can interview students as necessary and we can make sure we have an account of all the students and their safety.”

The authorities prepared part of the students to be transported from the Italy High School to an elementary school in the area. Thus, to allow them to be reunited with their parents.

Parkland spokeswoman April Foran said she could give no information.

Italy, known for locals as “The Biggest Little Town In Texas,” has about 2,000 residents and is located just off Interstate 35 between Dallas and Waco, as Chicago Tribune informed.